


It’ll Get Better

by b1ffle



Category: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
Genre: Claire and Enoch are bros, Claire being concerned, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, M/M, Triggers, Vomiting, just projecting my problems into my fave character :))
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 18:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16434371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/b1ffle/pseuds/b1ffle
Summary: Enoch doesn’t know what is causing this sudden aversion to food, but he does know he has a serious problem. When things hit an all time low, it’s time for some serious intervention.





	1. It’s Getting Worse

Enoch laid there, far too uncomfortable to sleep. 

“Love, are you alright? You’re breathing awful heavy,” Horace’s voice cut through the darkness. 

Enoch hesitated a few moments before answering. “No,” he stated honestly before shooting up from his bed. He ran to the bathroom and leaned over the toilet. 

“Enoch? Are you alright,” Horace asked concernedly. He placed a hand gently on Enoch’s back. 

“It’s not coming up,” Enoch said, panicked. 

“Enoch, what-“ Horace started. Enoch shoved his fingers down his throat. “Enoch, stop!” He desperately tried to wrestle Enoch’s hand away. 

“I’m sick, Horace! If I get it up, I’ll feel better,” Enoch explained. He stuck his finger back down his throat and wretched. 

After he finished, he sat back against the wall across from the toilet, breathing heavily. He felt Horace sit down beside him. 

“Better?” Horace asked. Enoch nodded and laid his head on Horace’s shoulder. “Back to bed?” Enoch nodded again. He begrudgingly allowed Horace to help him stand up but didn’t complain too much. He knew Horace was worried. 

Once back in their room, Horace maneuvered Enoch to his bed. “I can sleep in my own, thank you very much,” Enoch protested. “Besides, it’s probably a bug. You don’t need to catch it.” He tried to get back up but Horace pushed him back down and laid his head on Enoch’s chest to prevent him from getting up. 

“Please? I’m worried about you,” Horace pleaded. “You’ve been acting strange lately. Even Claire is starting to worry.”

Enoch huffed. “I’m fine,” he insisted. “I just haven’t been feeling well. It’ll pass.”

Horace, though not entirely convinced, decided to drop the subject. He pulled the blankets over them and they quickly fell asleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At breakfast the next morning, Enoch poked at his food. Horace looked at him in concern. 

“Are you alright?” Horace asked. He had noticed Enoch’s eating slowly declining over the past few weeks. 

Enoch, realizing Horace was worried, forced a small smile. “I’m fine, just not hungry,” he said. Even Claire looked unconvinced, but no one argued. 

After lunch, which Enoch didn’t even show up to, Horace marched down to the basement, Claire following close behind. 

“You need to eat!” Claire stated loudly as soon as the door was opened. 

“I know,” Enoch mumbled. He had a dead mouse pinned open on his work table and was in the process of removing its heart. 

“Then, come on!” Claire insisted, pulling on his shirt. “There’s still some food out. Horace even made your favorite.” Horace had made cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, a quick and easy lunch that many of the children, especially Enoch, absolutely loved. 

Enoch pondered this for a moment before agreeing. “Okay, I’ll have one sandwich,” he said. “After I finish this.”

Claire let out a little cheer. She used the nearest chair to climb on to the table to wait for him to finish. 

After he did, Horace made him a fresh sandwich. Claire sat uncomfortably close and watched him eat it.

“Why didn’t you cut the crust off, Horace? You know he hates the crust,” Claire said. 

“I’ll survive, mum,” Enoch said, rolling his eyes. 

Claire frowned but let him eat the rest in silence. When he finished, Enoch pushed his plate away. Horace could tell by his expression that something was wrong. 

“Are you alright,” Horace asked Enoch, placing a gentle hand on his arm. Enoch shook his head. 

“I just... I need to...” Enoch stood up abruptly and ran to the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind him. 

“Enoch? Enoch, please open the door,” Horace pleaded as he knocked hurriedly on the door as Enoch wretched inside. 

“Leave, Somnusson,” Enoch said between gags, “or I’ll stick your head in this toilet!”

The knocking stopped.


	2. Examination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come to a head and a professional is called in.

Over a month passed like this. Enoch either not eating or throwing up whatever little he did. His once-rounded cheeks were becoming hollow and his clothes hung off him just a bit too much now. 

“I’m fine,” Enoch kept insisting whenever anybody showed any amount of concern. 

It all came to a head one night after dinner. The children were lounging in the living room, listening to the radio. Claire was in Miss Peregrine’s lap, the ymbryne telling the youngest a story. Enoch and Horace were cuddled up on the couch. 

Enoch patted Horace’s leg. “I’m gonna go get ready for bed,” he said. He disentangled himself from Horace and stood up. He made it a few steps before suddenly collapsing backwards. 

Within seconds, all of the children swarmed him. 

“Get back, get back, all of you,” Miss Peregrine’s voice cut through their concerned chatter. The children parted a path for her. She crouched down by Enoch. “Enoch, can you hear me?” she asked gently, placing a hand on his forehead. 

Enoch blinked his eyes open and squinted against the bright ceiling light. “What happened?” he asked groggily, lifting a shaking hand to shield his eyes. 

“You fainted, mate,” Hugh said, accepting the cold rag that Fiona had gone to get and placing it on Enoch’s forehead. 

“I’m fine,” Enoch mumbled, trying to sit up. Invisible hands pushed him back down. 

“Give yourself a moment, lad. You’re most certainly not fine,” Millard said. 

Enoch turned his head and found Horace kneeling by his head looking incredibly worried. Enoch reached up and grabbed his hand. Horace leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“Bronwyn, will you take him to his bed, please?” Miss Peregrine asked. Bronwyn nodded and shooed the other kids out of the way so she could pick him up. 

“I can walk,” Enoch protested weakly but allowed himself to be carried. Bronwyn placed him gently in his bed. Horace, quick behind her, set to work on getting Enoch into his pajamas. “I can change myself,” Enoch said, but felt too weak and tired to actually move. 

Horace had him changed and tucked in within minutes. Miss Peregrine came in to check on him. 

“This is beyond concerning, Enoch. It’s dangerous,” she said. 

Enoch looked away and sniffed. “I know. I’m sorry,” he said miserably. 

“Don’t be, dear,” Miss Peregrine reassured him. “There’s a doctor in Germany, the best in all of peculiardom. I’m going to give him a call in the morning to see if he can come examine you.”

“Doctor Reighn, I’ve read about him!” a voice said from the corner of the room. 

Enoch groaned. “I really hope you weren’t there when Horace got me nearly naked and changed me.”

Millard’s meak “sorry” was all the answer he needed. “I’ve read about this Reighn. If the books are to be believed, if anyone can help you, it’ll be him.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 days of no one allowing Enoch out of bed except to use the restroom and try to eat later, there was a knock on the door. 

“Enoch?” Miss Peregrine said gently, standing in the doorway to his room. Enoch was leaning back against his headboard, supported by pillows. Claire was sitting on his lap, reading him one of the Tales of the Peculiar. The two looked up and saw a tall man standing next to Miss Peregrine. “I’d like you to meet Doctor Frederic Reighn. He’s going to be examining you.”

Doctor Reighn stepped into the room and up to Enoch’s bed. “Pleasure to meet you Enoch,” he said in a slight German accent, holding out a hand. Enoch shook it. “So sorry I could not come sooner. There was a case in Italy that just couldn’t wait.”

They began the examination and it was quick, thanks to Reighn’s peculiarity of being able to see through skin and flesh. Claire stood by Reighn’s side the whole time, asking him questions which the man gladly answered. 

“Well, Alma, other than being a tad underweight, he’s perfectly healthy,” Doctor Reighn proclaimed after the examination was finished. 

Miss Peregrine sighed in frustration. “That’s... good. Yes, good...”

“It’s frustrating, I know,” Reighn said empathetically. “It’s psychological, I’m sure. Perhaps a few weeks in Miss Eider’s loop would do him some good. Come, walk with me.” He exited the room, Claire holding his hand and followed by Miss Peregrine. 

Once they were out, Enoch said, “What do you know about Miss Eider’s loop, Mil?” He knew Millard would be in there. The invisible boy would not pass up a chance to watch a medical examination if his life depended on it. 

“It’s in Cardiff. It’s for peculiars with eating disorders. That’s what he must suspect you have,” Millard explained. 

“Eating disorder? But I’m not doing this on purpose!” Enoch protested. He felt the end of the bed dip as Millard sat down. 

“Well, you certainly have disordered eating. Whether or not it’s intentional, I’d classify it as an eating disorder,” Millard said, placing a gentle hand on Enoch’s ankle. 

Enoch huffed. “I don’t... I don’t want to be sent away,” he confessed softly. 

“It’ll be temporary, you know. You’ll be back before you know it,” Millard explained. “It’s what’s best. Imagine Claire having to sit by and watch you waste away. Imagine what that would do to Horace, to all of us. We care about you, Enoch. We want you to get better.”

“Alright, Enoch,” Miss Peregrine interrupted, appearing in the doorway. “I’ve just gotten off the phone with another ymbryne named Miss Eider.”

“Millard told me about it. I’ll go,” Enoch said. “I need to get better. I will get better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the read! Leave a comment if you please ~B1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment, I love reading them! ~B1


End file.
